East Millinocket wrestles with future for town's school system

EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- Voters in town will soon have a big issue to decide as to whether they will invest what may be needed to keep the town's school system going.

Schenck High School, which teaches kids from Kindergarten through 12th grade in East Millinocket, is now in big need of repairs. The building needs a new roof and upgrades to make it more handicap accessible. School officials expect the improvements will cost at least $2 million.

In the meantime, school officials in neighboring Millinocket have already made an offer for the situation. Superintendent Kenneth Smith submitted a proposal to the town to absorb all students in East Millinocket into Millinocket schools beginning next school year. Under the plan, East Millinocket would pay its neighbor about $1.5 million in tuition to educate the kids.

Yet school officials there say they are not interested in the offer.

"I think it was grossly premature," said AOS 66 Superintendent Quenten Clark, "the people of East Millinocket need to decide whether they're going to fix this building up and keep it. That's the first thing that needs to happen."

Voters will make their decision on the school in a special referendum election. A date for it has yet to be set.